Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

My baby boy will be 1 year old this coming Wednesday!  So hard to believe.  He loves bananas, so what better way to celebrate than with banana cupcakes?!

I think he enjoyed his first sugary treat!  Once he figured out what to do with it, he shoved the cupcake in his mouth and slowly devoured it without really chewing at all.  We had some good laughs watching it go down!

The first picture (with the candle) show's Ezra's cupcake, which had plain cream cheese frosting (no peanut butter).  These cupcakes have the peanut butter frosting...delicious!

Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
From New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

Cake:
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla

Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans or 1 9x13-inch pan or place cupcake liners in muffin pan.  Set pans aside.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a mixing bowl mix bananas, buttermilk, shortening and vanilla.  Gradually add flour mixture to banana mixture until combined.  Add eggs; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour batter into prepared pan(s).

Bake at 350 until slightly brown and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool completely, then frost.

Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons (1/2 a stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups sifted powdered sugar
splash of milk

Beat all ingredients except sugar and milk until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar (add more or less to taste).  Add milk, if needed, to reach a spreadable consistency.

Note:  The peanut butter cream cheese frosting is my adaptation on the cook book's plain cream cheese frosting.  Feel free to adapt to your taste (more or less cream cheese, peanut butter and/or butter).  To make plain cream cheese frosting, omit peanut butter, increase cream cheese to 8 ounces and increase butter to 8 tablespoons (1 stick).